Camera Test: Ansco Readyflash

The Ansco Readyflash – so named because it’s “ready for flash” (but I don’t have one) via two connectors on the camera – is about as simple a box camera as you could probably come up with. It’s made of sheet metal and plastic, and takes 8 exposures on a roll of 620 film, 6 x 9 cm each. It feels like an empty tuna can in your hands and makes roughly the same sound when dropped. Yet is surprisingly durable, and takes much better pictures than I expected. Mine is difficult to open and close, and if you look closely you’ll see that there’s a chip out of the plastic part of the case. But it seems to work just fine.

The shots above and below were taken from the top of the lighthouse at Chennai’s Marina beach – above is the fish market, along with a long line of boats and the 2004 typhoon-damaged housing many of the fishing people live in. I’m not sure what the complex below is – it may be the police headquarters – but it’s just west of the lighthouse.

This is a shot of the beach, and all of the debris produced, behind the fish market.

Unfortunately, there is no mechanism to prevent double exposures, so you have to pay attention to what you’re doing and develop a routine for advancing the film.

I particularly like the next two shots – this is one of the many vendor carts that “litter” Marina Beach, left stranded in a section of beach that is still flooded from last week’s rains. Below that is a row of granite “balls” placed at different locations along the beach to prevent vehicles from entering certain areas. They can be used for creative shots in the right light. I especially like how you can see where the focus falls off from the center of the (non-adjustable) lens, and the vignetting in the corners – effects some people will add to digital photos using software. Cheap lenses of this type (think “Diana” camera) are all the rage in the lomography crowd. You can easily spend a hundred bucks on a plastic Diana. Or pick up one of these for under ten.

Finally, check out this old carousel, which provides man and animal alike respite from the sun!

For another review/photo examples of this camera, check out this guy’s blog post. For the record, I used the same film (coincidence – Ilford FP4 125) but developed it for 10 minutes at 70F in HC-110, dilution B.